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G. F. WETHERELL & R. B. JONES.

PRESSER ROLL.

No. 318,064. Patented May 19, 1885.

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Nirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. VETHERELL AND RICHARD B. JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO RANSOM RICHARDS, OF SAME PLACE.

PRESSER-ROLL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,064, dated May 19,1885.

Application filed February 6, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE I WETHER- ELL and RICHARD B. JoNEs, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of I1linois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWood-Planing Machines, of which we do declare'the following to be afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our present invention has relation to that class of wood-planingmachines wherein a rotary cutter-headis employed for planing the surfaceof the lumber, and in particular does it relate to the improvement ofmeans employed for sustaining the chip-breaker and presser-rolls, whichare placed in front of and correspond with the cutter-head.

In this class of machines it has been heretofore customary to sustainthe presser-rolls in. independent housings, so that these rolls mightadjust themselves to the varying thickness or irregularities of thelumber passing through the machine. Such housings were formed withgrooves adapted to receive separate chip-breakers, which bore upon thelumher at points very near the line of travel of the cutter-knives, andthrough slots in the housings passed headed bolts which connected thehousings to the main cross-head of the machine. Upon suitable flanges ofthe housings rested an equalizing-bar, against which bore the lower halfof an elliptic spring which served to control the movement of both housings, and which was adjustably connected to y a projecting lug of thecross-head by means of a suitable screw and plate. An example of thisstyle of machine is furnished'by Letters Patent No.217,238 to Preble andPeoples, July 8, 1879.

The above-described construction of planing-machine, while constitutingadecided advance in the art, has been found somewhat defective in thefollowing particulars: In the first place, the cross-head of themachine, by which the housings were supported, terminated at suchdistance above the cutter-head (No model.)

unsupported by the cross-head savethrough the medium of the headedbolts. For this reason there was great danger, particularly after theparts had become worn by long usage, of the chip-breakers being thrustinto the path of the cutter-head when unusually thick lumber was forcedviolently into the machine, thereby demolishing the cutter-head orcausing even more serious accident. Moreover, by the employment of asingle elliptic spring for both housings, it was not possible to varythe. degree of spring-pressure upon each roll, as is sometimes desirablewhen planing to the same thickness. lumber of slightly different kindsor grades, nor was a satisfactory action of the spring obtainable whenone roll only was operating and the other was out of use. It has alsobeen found that the best results cannot be obtained with this oldconstructiomfor the reason that the elevation of one of thepresser-rolls will cause an increased and undue pressure of theequalizing-bar upon the other roll, and for the further reason that theends of the spring being fastened together, it did not yield withsufficient freedom to severe pressure on the rolls.

Our present invention has for its object to overcome the objectionsabove noted; and to this end it consists, first, in arranging thecrosshead at such a low point with relation to the cutter-head andchip-breaker that all danger of the chip-breaker and roll-housing beingthrust into the path of the cutter-head will be avoided; secondly, informing the chipbreaker in piece with the housings and connecting it tothe cross-head in substantially the relation hereinafter described;thirdly, in providing separate sets of springs and adj usting mechanismfor the housings; fourthly, in the employment of two sets ofreverselybowed springs having their ends loosely connected to thehousings.

Our invention also consists in details of improvement hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlydefined in the claims at the end of the specification.

wheel E, and suitable co-operating mechanism. The cross-head extends toa point tor-head, as will more fully appear.

approximately in line with the journal-bearing of the cutter-head, thepurpose of this being to guard the chip-breaker and housing againstbeing-forced into the path of the cutlo the front of the cross-head arebolted the housings F, each provided with the slots f, of a sizesomewhat broader than theheaded bolts f, which secure them to thecross-head in such manner as to permit of a vertical and slight lateralor tilting movement as warped or irregular pieces of lumber are passingthrough the machine. Integral with each of the housings F is formed thechip-breaker G, preferably furnished with the steel shoe 9; and at rightangles from the housings and in piece therewith project the journal-bearings G, which carry the presser-rolls H. At the upper part of thehousings are formed the lugs lcfprovided with the pins 7a, which fitwithin the slotted ends of the bowed springs K. Each set of springsconsists, preferably, of the reverse bows K and K, the ends of thesprings K being connected to the under side of the adjusting-plate M,through which passes the adjusting-screw N, controlled by the handwheel0, and sustained by the flange c of the crosshead. On the back of theplate M is formed the angular flange m, which moves between the lugs orribs m on the cross-head, and into which enters the threaded portion ofthe clamping-screw P, that passes through the slot 1) of the cross-head.

From the construction of parts as thus defined, it will be seen that byextending the cross-head to a point approximately in line with thejournal of the cutter-head it will efiectually guard against the dangerof the chip-breakers and housings being forced into the path of thecutter-head. By forming the chip-breakers in piece with the housingsthey can be more securely held to the cross-head than would be possiblewere the chip-breakers and housings separate.

The employment of separate sets of springs for the housings withmechanism for adjusting the tension of said springs independently notonly allows either of the presser rolls to move without affecting thepressure of the other, but also enables the presser rolls to exertdifferent degrees of pressure in case lumber of different kinds orqualities is being planed to the same thickness. By employing thereversel'y-bowed springs having their ends loosely connected to thehousings adjustable plate a more uniform and easier spring action isobtainable than is possible where an elliptic spring with connected endsis used for both housings. By the construction of adjusting plate andclamping screw shown all strain is taken from the main adjusting-screwand its flange after the spring has been properly adjusted and the platehas been clamped to the cross-head.

It will be readily seen that the precise details of construction aboveset out may be varied by the skilled mechanic without departing from thespirit of our invention, and to such details,therefore,we do not wish tobe understood as restricting our claims.

. Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesireto secure by Letters Patent, is i g 1. In a wood-planing machine, thecombination, with sustaining-posts, of the crosshead having its mainportion extending approximately in the horizontal plane of thejournal-bearings of the cutter-head, and the chip -breaker and housingsbearing against said cross-head, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the sustainingpo'sts, of the crossheadextending between said posts, the housings connected to said cross-head,the chip-breakers formed in piece with said housings, and thepresser-rolls and cutter-head journaled in said housings, said severalparts being relatively arranged for cooperation substantially asdescribed.

3. In a wood-p1aning machine, the combination, with thesustaining-posts, the crosshead, and the independent housings arrangedtransversely of the machine and connected to the cross-head, of theindependently-adj ustable plate-springs bearing against each of saidhousings, said parts being relatively arranged for cooperationsubstantially as described.

4. In a wood-planing machine, the combination, with thesustaining-posts, the crosshead, the slotted housings, and bolts, of thechip-breakers formed in piece with the housings, the springs forexerting downward pressure on said housings, the cutter-head, andpresserrolls, substantially as described.

5 In a wood-planing machine, the combination, with the sustaining-posts,the crosshead, and the housings, of the separate sets of reversely-bowedsprings having their ends loosely connected to the housings,substantially as described.

6. In a wood-planing machine, the combination, with thesustaining-posts, the crosshead extending transversely of the machineand connected to the sustainingposts, and the housings connected to saidcross-head, of the separate sets of springs for exerting pressure onsaid housings, adjustable bearing-plates, substantially as set forth,for said springs, and bolts for clamping said plates to the cross-head,said several parts being rela ICO ' tively arranged for co-opei'ationsubstantially formed upon the housings, and adjustable bearas set forth.ing-plates for the springs, substantially as de- 10 7. In a wood-planingmachine, the combiscribed. nation, with the sustaining-posts, the crosst GEO. F. WETHERELL. 5 head, the slotted housings, and bolts for con-RIOHARD B. JONES.

necting the housings and cross-head, 0f the \Vitnesses: sets ofreversely-bowed springs having slot- JAMES H. PEIROE,

ted ends, the bearing-lugs for said slotted ends, L. HOLMBOE.

